Dungeons and Dragons: Give it a Try

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Key:

• DM = Dungeon Master

• D&D= Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons

I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for about 10 years. I have played in campaigns with my husband as the Dungeon Master or friends as the Dungeon Master. I tried once to run a campaign, but that was not for me at the time. Through playing with the group of friends that I have, we have all been together for the 10 years, I have learned so much about dungeons and dragons. Here are a few things I would consider as a new player.

Finding your group

It is truly vital that you find a group of people that you feel comfortable playing with and a dungeon master you feel comfortable reaching out to. In a dungeons and dragons campaign anything can happen. Some things good and some things bad, some of those things could bring up past or current traumas. It is important that you are open with your dungeon master and let them know when you feel uncomfortable or what thinks you would want them to avoid during the campaign.

Along with making sure you are in a safe environment for mental health, your group can become some of the best of friends you never knew you needed. When my husband and I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter, we knew that I wouldn't be able to make the trips down to the dungeons and dragon group sessions. At the time, we were seeing each other in person and rolling physical dice. Although I took some time away being a first time mom, my group never left my character out and my DM always kept me updated on the group. I never felt like I was left out. They are my core group, but not the only one I have played with.

Like I mentioned before my husband has also been a DM for a lot of the campaigns I've played in. The most recent one was with our friends from Rocket League. Although I was nervous about playing with all these guys, they never once made me feel different for being the only girl in the group. So, it is truly important to find your people and if the group isn't the one for you then leave it. Explain to your Dungeon Master why you are leaving, because they need to know to better their sessions in the future.

Creating your character

This is the most important and my most FAVORITE part of the game!! Since D&D has grown so much, there are so many different ways you can create your own character. For me, I am a magical user!! I love all things magic and I'm playing one of the following characters:

• druid- changes into animals

• cleric- heals others

• sorcerer/wizard- low on hp but powerful magic

• paladin- healer with some spice

• ranger- but I have to have the pet companion

Playing these magical characters is the most fun for me, although managing spell list and animal list can become overwhelming. I have tried playing all the character types and these just fit more with my personality.

Character creation is not just about deciding how your character will fight. It includes things like:

• how your character grew up

• their attitude towards others

• what happens when they come face to face with something that stresses them out

• their fears

• what do they love?

• why does your character do certain things?

• their voice

• their look

Everything matters and the more you can put into your character the more your DM will have for the story. The more you bring to the table on how your character interacts with others.

For example, I have a character that refuses to look at mirrors. Why? Well, one of my dungeons and dragons characters got stuck in a mirror just by looking at it. It has stuck with many of my characters to be cautious of mirrors. Your character is your own creation and you can be as creative as the DM allows.

Romance

Although we are all not all going on romantic dates to replenish a lost spark in campaigns, romance is a big topic amongst most groups. I feel as though with the rise of popularity of Critical Role there has been a rise in romance during D&D campaigns. Now there is nothing wrong with romance in the campaign, as long as everyone is ok with it happening. Since my husband and I have played in campaigns together, there have been times where we flirted together and other times where his character loved someone else. Both were talked about before and we openly communicated about everything our characters were doing. In my current campaign one of our characters is married (we had to go through a whole quest to get him to his wife) and they now have children on the way in the game. Flirting and romance in the dungeons and dragons world should not make others feel uncomfortable. If it does, please reach out to the Dungeon Master. Romance can be part of the natural ways we interact with people in the game.

Where and When to Start Playing

In conclusion, the most important thing to consider when starting D&D is to find the group that supports you. Look for discord channels, find others to play with online, or find a group to play with in your community. You don't have to know all the rules and a good DM will always help you with knowledge. The biggest step you can take, and one that I took, is to just try playing one campaign. Who knows maybe it will bring you the best of friends, so many laughs, tears, and a brand new hobby that you will fall in love with.

With love,

Erin (restoringhope5)